Four Beasts Refine Pills
At the center of the sphere of light, the struggle between the Laws of Life and Death and Death and the power of the Four Fierce Beasts had reached the brink of collapse. In the Energy Turbulence, sometimes azure-gold vitality grew wildly like vines, and sometimes gray-black Annihilation spread like a tide. The roar of the collision between the two forces even caused subtle ripples to appear in the void.
Ren Xiaoyao's cyan-gold robes fluttered in the raging Energy Storm, the golden embroidery of Life and Death Patterns on the fabric seeming to come alive. Every thread seemed to breathe in the Spiritual Qi of the Wild Frontier —sometimes transforming into tender sprouts breaking through the soil, pushing aside the oppressive rocks; sometimes condensing into drifting autumn leaves, swirling back to dust, depicting the cycle of all things from birth to death in the light and shadow. Even the curve of the wind brushing against his robes seemed to contain the rhythm of life and death.
At the center of his brow, the Life-Death Runes, swirling with cyan and gold, suddenly lit up. The light was like two overlapping suns and moons, with the cyan-gold vitality and the gray-black Annihilation slowly flowing within the rune, pushing the radiance of the Chaos Pearl in his palm to its extreme. Even the surrounding light was drawn by this power, forming visible light trails.
The Chaos Current on the surface of the pearl surged like tides, sometimes transforming into rushing rivers, where fish and shrimp could be seen playing in the waves. Upon closer inspection, these fish and shrimp were undergoing the entire process from egg to adult to old age. At other times, it solidified into majestic mountains, with beasts roaming among the peaks. The fur of these beasts changed color with the seasons, eventually turning into a mound of yellow earth in the mountains. Countless worlds, each the size of a fingernail, were vaguely visible within it, Cycle of Life and Death and death. In the blink of an eye, they had experienced the entire process from desolation to prosperity, from clamor to Annihilation, like a condensed history of the universe.
He could clearly perceive every inch of the dissipation of the Four Fierce Beasts' power: the fireball of the Violet Phoenix, which had once burned across a thousand miles, was shrinking at a visible speed, its pale purple flames charred at the edges, like a candle flame ravaged by a gale. From the depths of the flames came the faint lament of Phoenix, a lament mixed with resentment and pain, a cry of agony from the damage to its very essence; the surface of the ice pillar condensed by the Blue Profound was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, the Extreme Cold Law emitting a series of cracking sounds under the erosion of the Power of Life and Death, the cold light refracted by the ice shards growing dimmer and dimmer, and the remains of the ancient behemoth, originally frozen within the ice pillar, were now dissipating into specks of blue light. Each dissipation of the blue light caused the ice pillar to tremble; the lightning around the White Tiger had long since lost its previous ferocity, and the purple electric snakes struggled and thrashed a few times before being assimilated by the cyan-gold vitality, transforming into a rain of light that nourished the vegetation. Each drop of light that fell to the ground gave the withered grass a hint of green, and the fine hairs on the grass could be seen trembling gently; the Azure Dragon's venom was so thin that it was almost transparent, and the gray-black droplets were decomposed into the most basic Spiritual Qi by the Laws of Life and Death as soon as they left the dragon's claws. Even the power to corrode space disappeared completely, and the air became fresher where the droplets dissipated.
The phantoms of living beings swept up by the Energy Torrent are now transforming into shimmering dots, like dandelions scattered by the wind. They slowly merge into the Wild Frontier land, and with each drop of light, the cracked earth turns a touch of green, and you can even see tiny roots quietly stretching out in the soil, still covered with moist earth.
"The birth and death of the Wild Frontier are never determined by your arbitrary decisions."
Ren Xiaoyao's voice pierced through layers of Energy Turbulence, carrying the majesty unique to the Principle. The voice did not travel through the air, but resounded directly into the depths of the Four Fierce Beasts ' souls. When it reached Four Fierce Beasts ears, it caused their souls to ache as if countless fine needles were piercing them at the same time, and even their physical movements froze for a moment.
He swiftly formed hand seals, his thumb and forefinger interlocking into a ring, like a miniature universe; his middle and ring fingers intertwined like vines, symbolizing the growth and entanglement of all things; his little finger slightly raised like a bud, representing the Hope of Life, which is the "Life-Death Seal" that invokes the power of heaven and earth.
As the hand seals took shape, the Chaos Pearl in his palm suddenly exploded, transforming into a shower of light that merged into his limbs and bones. As the light flowed through his meridians, it emitted a subtle hum, as if awakening the dormant power within him—in an instant, deafening thunder resounded throughout the heavens and earth. The thunder was not a single sound, but countless thunderclaps superimposed together, forming a symphony that shook the soul. Dark clouds rapidly gathered from the Wild Frontier wilderness, covering the entire sky in a matter of moments, like a huge Ink Stone pressing down on his head, completely blocking out the light, plunging the world into darkness.
Golden lightning bolts roared and weaved through the clouds like giant dragons, each bolt as thick as a bowl. The dragon-shaped lightning bolts opened their massive mouths, as if to devour everything. They contained the purest purifying and retributive power of the Wild Frontier. The runes flowing within the lightning were the imprints of order accumulated over billions of years in the Wild Frontier. Upon closer inspection, one could even discover that they recorded the birth and death trajectories of countless living beings, from the ignorance of a single cell, to the ignorance of the first awakening of intelligence, and then to the madness of defying the heavens. Every trajectory was crystal clear.
This was not the Heavenly Thunder summoned by an ordinary cultivator, but rather the spontaneous punishment of the Heaven and Earth Laws for those who defied the heavens, the final judgment of the Wild Frontier order against those who disrupted it. The oppressive force contained within the Thunder Clouds caused even the pebbles on the ground to tremble slightly, as if they were submitting to this sacred power.
"No!"
The Azure Dragon was the first to sense the aura of death within the lightning, an aura like a cold, venomous snake, coiling around its soul. It frantically twisted its massive body, its dragon claws tearing through the void with the force to rip through the energy barrier. The claw tips slashed across the void, leaving trails of black marks, yet it was firmly bound by the ever-tightening Laws of Life and Death, like a giant beast trapped in a quagmire, the more it struggled, the tighter the restraints became.
The already tattered golden-blue dragon scales, illuminated by the purple-gold lightning, resembled gold foil scorched by a raging fire, peeling off with a piercing, crisp sound. Each falling scale was accompanied by the Azure Dragon's painful roar, a roar filled with intense fear.
Beneath, the snake revealed its true form: dark blue-green snake scales covered in old wounds inflicted by thorns, with dried blood still clinging to the edges. These wounds were now being relentlessly eroded by the Power of Life and Death. The grayish-black viscous fluid that had just seeped from the wounds was instantly burned into wisps of blue smoke by lightning, carrying a faint, fishy odor. The air was thick with a pungent, acrid smell—the painful stench of a caustic burning, a scent that sent chills down the spine. Even distant birds were startled by the odor and scattered in all directions.
The Violet Phoenix's mournful cry sounded particularly shrill amidst the lightning, like shards of glass scraping against metal, jarring and unpleasant to the ear. The Nirvana Rune on its tail feathers were breaking apart inch by inch, each falling feather accompanied by a spurt of Essence Blood —the pale purple feathers traced a poignant arc in the air, igniting into flames the moment they touched the lightning, but no longer the destructive fire that incinerated all things, instead transforming into life-giving golden-red feathers, like falling maple leaves, slowly drifting to the earth. Where the feathers landed, tiny seeds sprouted from the soil, their seed coats still covered with moist earth.
The serpent's body, once a translucent, Blue Profound blue, was now charred black where it had been struck by lightning. Even its hardest skull was cracked with several fine lines, from which pale blue blood seeped. The Extreme Cold Law crumbled under the heat of the Heavenly Thunder lightning, and the Ice Crystals that had condensed on its scales rapidly turned into water vapor. As the vapor rose, it was transformed by the Laws of Life and Death into dew that nourished the vegetation. The dew fell into the cracks in the rocks, and Green Moss slowly spread along the stone walls, Green Moss color gradually changing from light green to dark green.
The White Tiger's condition was even more miserable. Its snow-white fur was scorched by the lightning, and its black stripes had lost all their luster, resembling faded ink stains. In some places, the fur had even been burned off, revealing the pink flesh underneath. The Thunder Clouds under its claws had long since dissipated, leaving only a few weak strands of electricity struggling at its claw tips. Each breath carried a heavy smell of blood, and the white mist it exhaled was mixed with tiny blood droplets, which turned into small blood flowers when they fell to the ground.
Under the dual onslaught of Heavenly Thunder and the Laws of Life and Death, the Energy Torrent of the Four Fierce Beasts rapidly shrank and shattered like a broken Glazed Ice lamp. The energy mass that had once covered the sky and sun had now shrunk to less than one-tenth of its original size, and its color had also brightened considerably from dark.
Ren Xiaoyao slowly rose into the air, his azure-gold light growing increasingly intense, as if transforming into a miniature sun. Wherever the light passed, even the air rippled slightly, and within those ripples, tiny creatures could be seen being born and dying.
He held up a seal that condensed thousands of lightnings. In the center of the seal was the simple word "Zhen". There seemed to be mountains standing between the strokes, and there were dense forests on the mountains. The edges were surrounded by the characters "Lian", and there seemed to be flames beating in the lines. The metal could be seen melting in the flames. That was the exclusive authority given to the Lord of the Wilderness by the Borderlands. He was responsible for judging things that defied the heavens and reshaping the order of the world. The air around the seal was slightly distorted by this power.
"Using Heaven and Earth as a Furnace, Heavenly Thunder as the fire, and life and death as the catalyst—refine!"
With a shout, his voice resounded like thunder, echoing even from distant valleys. The Heavenly Thunder suddenly pressed down, and purple-gold Heavenly Thunder poured down like a waterfall, converging in mid-air into a pillar of light a hundred feet in diameter. Countless lightning runes could be seen flashing within the pillar, completely enveloping the Four Fierce Beasts fiends.
Strangely, when the Heavenly Thunder struck the Four Fierce Beasts, it did not cause a deafening explosion. Instead, it transformed into fine chains of light, like the most exquisite chains, with tiny patterns engraved on them. These chains wrapped around the Four Fierce Beasts ' bodies layer by layer, and as the chains tightened, the Four Fierce Beasts ' bodies trembled slightly.
The Life-Death Runes flowing on the light chain continuously seeped into the Four Fierce Beasts' bodies, like the most patient craftsman, peeling away their violent origins little by little, leaving behind the essence containing the Spiritual Qi energy of the Wild Frontier —those energies that were once obscured by ferocity, now, under the tempering of Heavenly Thunder, gradually revealed their original purity, as if a dusty pearl had been wiped clean of dirt, radiating a warm luster.
The Azure Dragon writhed in agony amidst the lightning, its massive body shrinking at a visible speed, from a colossal beast that blotted out the sky to a form only a few dozen feet long. The runes on its horns went out completely, like a burnt-out lamp wick, leaving only a somber gray background.
The golden-blue dragon scales were peeled away piece by piece by the lightning, revealing the dark blue snake scales underneath. After the snake scales melted away, its Origin Core was finally revealed—a gray-black dragon pearl. The pearl still contained the wails of countless living beings, the ferocity accumulated from devouring all living things. At this moment, it was being purified little by little by the lightning. The wails were getting quieter and quieter, and the color of the pearl was getting brighter and brighter.
The Violet Phoenix's body transformed into a dancing purple flame, from which golden specks of light were continuously peeled away—the very essence of its rebirth. The specks of light hovered in the air for a moment before condensing into a golden Phoenix phantom. As the phantom spread its wings, a faint floral fragrance wafted out, a fresh and elegant scent that could invigorate the spirit.
Blue Profound's serpentine body melted into a pool of deep blue water, from which floated a piece of icy blue crystal, containing the purest power of extreme cold. Now, nourished by the Heavenly Thunder, the cold gradually became gentle, no longer possessing any harmful ferocity, but instead carrying a trace of cool vitality, with tiny water droplets condensed on the surface of the crystal.
The White Tiger's body slowly disintegrated in the lightning, transforming into a white bolt of lightning. Within the lightning was an Inner Core with lightning patterns. The black Power of Destruction on the Inner Core was being purified by the purple-gold Heavenly Thunder, gradually revealing a warm luster. Between the patterns, there seemed to be the sound of spring raindrops falling, crisp and melodious.
Ren Xiaoyao gently raised his left hand, invoking the Laws of Life and Death to transform it into a stream of azure-gold energy. This energy, like a gentle arm, gathered the essence of the Four Fierce Beasts into the air, and the air became much fresher wherever it passed.
The gray-black dragon ball, the golden Phoenix Fire, the icy blue crystal, and the thunderous Inner Core gradually shed their impurities under the continuous tempering of Heavenly Thunder —the wailing within the dragon ball grew weaker and weaker, eventually transforming into pure earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, causing the ball's color to change from gray-black to a warm, dark blue, with even the patterns of mountains and rivers appearing on its surface, within which tiny streams of water flowed slowly; the ferocity within the Phoenix Fire was soothed by the Power of Life and Death, Golden Light Spots condensed into a full core, radiating a gentle aura of rebirth, with faint flames flowing around the core, as gentle as an infant's breath, the flames... The color changed from a dazzling gold to a warm orange; the chill of the Ice Crystals was no longer biting, but instead carried a refreshing coolness that nourished the soul. The flowing ice-blue light resembled Moonlight Essence, and tiny snowflakes could be seen slowly falling inside the crystals, yet they did not harm anyone. When the snowflakes landed on the crystal walls, they turned into a thin layer of ice mist; the destructive energy of the Thunder Inner Core completely dissipated, transforming into gentle thunder that could purify all things. The patterns on the surface seemed to come alive, slowly flowing, and with each flow, a faint rumble of thunder sounded, like the awakening of insects after a spring rain, waking the sleeping earth.
With a flick of his right hand, the Emerald Green Staff reappeared in his palm. The vine patterns on the staff now burned intensely, like fiery spirit vines. The dewdrops on the leaves shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight, each drop reflecting a tiny world with mountains, rivers, and living creatures.
The staff gently touched the four clusters of essence, Laws of Life and Death, like fine threads, wrapped and fused them together—the dark cyan dragon pearl slowly rotated, releasing a heavy earth elemental power, seemingly capable of bearing all things, its power carrying the fragrance of soil; golden Phoenix Fire danced around the dragon pearl, infusing it with inexhaustible energy, like the pulse of life, the flames dancing in rhythm with the pearl's rotation; the icy blue crystal released a cool aura, balancing the intensity of fire and earth, like a clear spring in summer, its breath refreshing; the thunderous Inner Core formed a protective membrane on the outermost layer, perfectly fusing the three powers, like a sturdy eggshell, the membrane even shimmering with tiny sparks of electricity.
Gray, black, gold, blue, and white light intertwined and swirled within the lightning, like an ancient dance. Their rotation speed increased, gradually condensing into four round and full Pills, with a faint halo remaining on Pills surfaces.
The first one is dark blue, about the size of a pigeon egg, with lifelike dragon patterns flowing across its surface. The dragon patterns spiral upwards, forming a small dragon horn at the top, with fine lines on the horn. It exudes a thick and stable earth-attribute Spiritual Qi. It is the "Mountain Suppressing Pill" refined with the essence of the Azure Dragon. After taking it, it can stabilize the cultivator's essence, making it as unshakable as a mountain. It can even condense the phantom of mountains and rivers within the body. The mountains and rivers in the phantom can change shape according to the cultivator's will, Repel Foreign Enemies.
The second pill is entirely golden, slightly smaller than a longan, with a faint flame burning on its surface. It's not hot to the touch, but rather exudes a warm aura. The color of the flame subtly changes with the light. Within the flame, the phantom of Phoenix spreading its wings is faintly visible, containing the power of rebirth. Named "Phoenix Marrow Pill," it can repair damaged souls and even help one break through cultivation bottlenecks. When consumed, Phoenix's cry will resonate in the mind; the clear and melodious cry can cleanse the soul of impurities, allowing one to forget all troubles.
The third crystal is a translucent, icy blue, like a piece of solidified moonlight. It feels cool to the touch, yet carries no trace of malevolence. Under different lighting conditions, it refracts different shades of blue. Inside, tiny Ice Flowers Ice Flowers slowly bloom, each with a unique shape. This is the "Cold Soul Pill," a condensation of extreme cold essence. It can soothe restless spiritual energy, making it especially suitable for cultivators practicing fire-attribute Cultivation Method to harmonize their aura. It can even condense Ice Core within the body, which gradually grows stronger with the cultivator's practice, making the power of fire even purer.
The fourth pill, white with a hint of purple, was similar in size to the Phoenix Marrow Pill. Tiny crackles of electricity danced on its surface, the color of which gradually changed from white to purple. Wherever the electricity touched, the air rippled slightly. It contained the purifying Thunder Force, and was called the "Startling Thunder Pill." It could cleanse impurities from a cultivator's body and even break Curse evil spirits. After consumption, a faint rumble of thunder would echo within the body, like the breath of nature, dispelling all obstacles that hindered the flow of spiritual energy.
Heavenly Thunder subsided, the dark clouds, like ink scattered by the wind, gradually retreated from the Wild Frontier sky, revealing the sun that had been obscured for so long. The sunlight shone on the earth once more, making everything appear vibrant and full of life.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, cascading down like a golden waterfall onto the earth. It shone on the four floating Pills, refracting a rainbow of light. Each ray of light contained the rhythm of birth and death, and the light fell to the ground, forming colorful bands of light.
The sky over the Wild Frontier has cleared again, like a giant sapphire. Even the air is fresh, like after a rain. Taking a deep breath, you can smell the mixed fragrance of grass, trees, and earth. The valleys that were shattered in the battle are now covered with new vegetation. Emerald vines climb up the rock walls, glistening with dewdrops and adorned with unknown purple flowers. Several colorful butterflies perch on the flower stamens, their wings fluttering and leaving a faint trail of phosphorescent powder. On the Corroded Land by the Azure Dragon's venom, a thick layer of emerald moss covers the ground. The moss varies in color, forming natural patterns. Several small snails emerge from the moss, carrying translucent shells, slowly crawling and leaving silvery trails that shimmer in the sunlight. The burnt smell in the air has long since disappeared, replaced by the sweet fragrance of growing grass. Taking a deep breath, you can almost taste the dew and feel the vigor of life, which invigorates your spirit.
Ren Xiaoyao carefully placed the four Pills into a Jade Bottle. The Jade Bottle was carved from warm jade from the depths of the Wild Frontier, and it felt warm and smooth to the touch, as if it had a life of its own. The words "birth and death" were engraved on the bottle, the characters ancient and vigorous, with traces of the carving still remaining in the strokes. It could perfectly preserve the Spiritual Qi of the Pills, and even allow the Pills to slowly grow and become more refined inside the bottle. The bottle also emitted a faint jade fragrance.
He gently brushed his fingertips across the bottle, leaving behind a cyan-gold Life-Death Runes. The moment the rune merged into the Jade Bottle, the Pills inside emitted an even softer light. Looking through the Jade Bottle, it seemed as if four miniature mountains flowed within it, with clouds and mist swirling between them.
"This elixir should nourish the Wild Frontier, not aid and abet tyranny."
He murmured to himself, a hint of relief in his voice, and a satisfied gleam in his eyes, as if he had accomplished an important mission.
These Pills, refined from the Four Fierce Origins, have lost all their ferocity and instead contain the purest vitality of the Wild Frontier. Whether they are given to the cultivators who protect the Wild Frontier or integrated into the earth to nourish living beings, they will be the best gifts. They will continue to exist in the Wild Frontier in another form.
He could almost see the injured cultivators regaining their strength after taking the Pills, their faces beaming with gratitude; the withered land absorbing the Pills's Spiritual Qi and bursting forth with life, growing into lush forests—that was the best place for these powers to reside, and a redemption for their past destruction of the Wild Frontier.
Ren Xiaoyao turned and looked towards the depths of the Wild Frontier, where the lair of the Four Fierce Beasts had once been gathered. Now, new Spiritual Qi was converging there— the Black Wind Valley, where the Azure Dragon dwelled, had been purified by Heavenly Thunder, and clear springs gushed forth, their tinkling sounds like natural music, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. In the depths of the springs, colorful pebbles shimmered; the Flame Mountain, where the Violet Phoenix had built its nest, no longer erupted with lava, and green shoots sprouted from the cooled rocks, their tips topped with glistening dewdrops that sparkled in the sunlight, refracting tiny Light Spots of light; and the Frozen Pool, frozen in Blue Profound ice.